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Bradford man says Katy Perry video is blasphemous

More than 56,000 people have supported a Bradford man’s online petition to get Katy Perry’s new video taken off YouTube because he believes it is “blasphemous.”

Shazad Iqbal wants the singer’s Dark Horse video removed because it shows her disintegrating a man wearing a pendant which reads ‘Allah’ in Arabic.

Some 56,000 have signed up to Mr Iqbal’s appeal, but YouTube has not responded.

He said: “In terms of where things are at the moment I have contacted YouTube and Vevo and not had a response yet.”

In the video, Katy Perry plays an ancient Egyptian princess trying to chose a male suitor and any who displease her are turned into sand by a lightning shot.

Mr Iqbal said although he is “a regular 22-year-old” who does watch pop videos, he had not watched Dark Horse until it was brought to his attention – and he was disgusted by it.

He said: “In making this petition my intention is not to cause controversy or to cause hate but rather to gain support in having the video removed.

“I could never have imagined the support we would gain so thanks again guys.

“For all the negative comments out there I’d like to say; faith is something people hold very dear to themselves. Blasphemy is clearly conveyed in the video, since Katy Perry – who appears to be representing an opposition of God – engulfs the believer and the word God in flames.

“This is the reason for lodging the petition so that people from different walks of life, different religions and from different parts of the world, agree that the video promotes blasphemy.

“Using the name of God in an irrelevant and distasteful manner would be considered inappropriate by any religion.”

Bradford Council for Mosques also wants the video removed because it is offensive.

But its president, Mohammed Rafiq Sehgal, is urging people to respond with dignity by asking YouTube to take it off.

He said: “It’s very clear the objective of the video is to annoy people, to promote anger and get a reaction – it does not serve any other purpose but we should not fall prey to this provocation.